My Deck Is My Sword
by Eliteslayer
Summary: A one-shot match between two knights of the duel. One, a somewhat crazy Duel Entertainer with cards based off Monty Python, the other a stoic security guard. Who will win?


This is a fic using two original characters I created a while ago. I felt like posting it, so please let me know what you think. I also apologize for my lack of knowledge of Japanese in some of the card names. And yes, several of these cards are based off Monty Python and the Holy Grail, because I'm a huge fan and a geek that way.

For Melryn's bio and cards, go to: .com/page/Melryn+Archimedes

For Kouji's cards, go to: .com/albums/hh125/Eliteslayers_Proxies/Knights/

Enjoy!

______________

My Deck Is My Sword

In the world of dueling, countless duelists have set their sights on the pro leagues, series of tournaments where the strongest meet to test their limits. The winners gain glory (and a healthy amount of prize money), while the losers must struggle to pick up the fallen pieces of their broken pride. It's a cutthroat environment where only the strong can thrive, and must walk a path paved with the lost dreams of those they've had to crush.

Of course, there are others who don't quite like the whole risk and competitiveness, but still seek fame in the dueling world. They follow a different path, taking on the title of Duel Entertainers.

This is the story of two men, one a Duel Entertainer, the other a man unlucky enough to cross paths with this entertainer. While the two were different in more ways than one could count, they had one important thing in common. What would that be? Well, I can't go spoiling everything, now can I?

It all began somewhere in Japan, a little ways south of Kyoto, where the Golden Disk Duel Tournament was taking place. The arena was filled with attendees swarming over the bleachers to find their seats, while vendors lined all around to sell their snacks and souvenirs. Yet there was considerable less chaos in the VIP section, right in the front row, where one man and his bodyguards sat.

Who this man is and what he did is of little importance, but suffice to say, he was a politician who had reason to fear for his life. He was just finishing business on a trip to America when he learned of the threat, and quickly returned under the protection of the police.

Assigned to protect him on his trip back was Kouji Futagotsu, who normally worked undercover in the rankest parts of the dueling underworld, but was assigned as a bodyguard to this politician since he was the only one in the force who could speak fluent Japanese. While his last name seemed to be just the word "Futago," meaning "twins," with an extra syllable at the end, evidently that was his real name, or at least as close to a real name as he had. If it was meant to have any meaning, one could scarcely tell, since he didn't seem to have any family at all, much less a twin.

Despite his name and linguistic skills, it was hard to say if he was any nationality at all, no matter how you looked at him. His skin was a deep tan, while his hair was a sandy blonde, and his eyes a cold emerald green. Anyone who'd ask him about himself wouldn't get much of an answer, either, just a cold glare and a short remark about how that didn't have to do with anything. In the end, though, it seemed to make little difference to everyone else, as he got his job done.

While the politician's personal bodyguards were all clad in the same style of suit and sunglasses, Kouji was dressed in his own style. He wore a black sleeveless top and fingerless gloves, which hid distinct scars on the back of each hand, and a pair of black jeans with two decorative belts around each leg. It was just a variant of what he normally wore while undercover, although this time he was encouraged not to hide his gun, so as to discourage any potential assassins.

As the crowd began to quiet down, lights struck the center of the arena, and the crowd instantly became noisy once again. The announcer could barely be heard over the roar, but anyone who was really trying to listen would hear: "Welcome, one and all, to the Golden Disk Duel Tournament! Each of our competitors have fought hard to reach this point, and we're going to give you some of the best duels you've ever seen! But first, to get the tournament started, let's hear it for our Duel Entertainer, Melryn Archimedes!"

A single spotlight hit the stage, and as the cheers of the audience quieted down, one could hear what sounded like a galloping horse. As the clip-clop of hooves grew louder, mist began to billow across the stage, thanks to the smoke machine set in the back of the room. From the wall of smoke emerged a the duelist in question, clad in a brown vest over a shirt that looked as though it were blue chain mail, holding himself as though he were holding on to the reigns of a horse with his brown-gloved hands. Accompanying him was today's unluckiest stagehand, dressed like some sort of medieval peasant with a huge backpack upon his back. In his hand he held two empty halves of coconuts, which he banged together to create the sound of galloping. As the first man came to a stop, pulling back on the invisible reigns, the stagehand knocked together the coconut halves once more and halted.

The spotlight struck down upon Melryn Archimedes, Duel Entertainer extraordinaire. Or at least that's what he called himself, since it sounded more impressive. Melryn had always been a little on the short side, but having a stagehand who was hunched over due to the backpack made him look a little taller comparatively. His black hair was cut short and stuck out at odd angles, like he had just woken up, but it was considered part of his charm. He shot a fist into the air, drawing applause from the audience, and let out a shout of "The wait is over, your knight is here!"

Melryn had begun his dueling career as a student of Duel Academia, like several other duelists in the league. His exploits and adventures are a story for another time, but suffice to say, it was a long road to becoming a Duel Entertainer. Having made his name using a Camelot deck, he was promoted as a knight among duelists… except for the fact that he was an idiot by his own admission, and just a little bit crazy by any standards. Besides that, his deck could scarcely be called a Camelot deck; sure, he used King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, but he also ran several cards that were slightly unrelated. One could expect to see lumberjacks, rabbits, and a magician with a flamethrower when he dueled.

Contrary to Kouji, Melryn was almost entirely Japanese, although his name would suggest otherwise. By tracing the name back for several centuries, one would eventually find him descended from European knights in the medieval ages, but that was lost in the history books, and the only hint of his heritage was in Melryn's last name. Not that it didn't stop them from playing up that angle of his ancestry, marketing him as a knight of the duel.

As the applause began to dwindle down, the politician turned his head towards Kouji. The two had spoken a little on the flight there, but that was because Kouji wasn't particularly talkative, and gave rather short answers to any questions asked.

"Futagotsu, wasn't it?" he confirmed. "I hear you work undercover in the dueling underworld. So you're a pretty good duelist, I take it?"

"I am competent enough at what I do," replied Kouji. "The fact that I am still alive is testament enough to that."

As he spoke, the announcer continued to set up the preliminary match. _"Before the tournament begins, we have a special preliminary duel with our knight, Melryn Archimedes."_

"So if the opportunity arose, you'd be able to show us a good match, right?" continued the politician.

"That is unrelated to my assignment," replied Kouji. "But yes."

"_Our sponsor has asked a special favor, and has selected a duelist from outside of the leagues to go up against him…"_

"So what if I asked you to duel against someone? Just for fun?"

"_So give a warm welcome to his opponent…"_

Kouji's eyes narrowed as he looked at the politician, placing together the sudden conversation with the announcer's speech. "Do you mean to say…"

"At the behest of Congressman Daiki, Kouji Futagotsu!"

Kouji scowled as the spotlight hit him, and the audience applauded. As a duelist, he always carried his deck with him, but he did not expect to use it on a simple security mission. "It seems my hands are tied," he said, shooting a glare at Daiki. "Very well, I will show you exactly what I am capable of, but do not expect for a second that the department will be pleased with this."

"I expected nothing of the sort," replied Daiki with a smirk. He raised his glass in the air, as though proposing a toast. "Have fun out there."

As Kouji approached the stage, Melryn took a second duel disk from his stagehand, who then left, still banging the coconuts together. He tossed the duel disk to Kouji, then approached to extend a hand as the latter slid the disk on his arm.

"Yo, Futagotsu, nice t'meetcha," Melryn greeted, as he shook Kouji's hand. "Can't say I was expecting the big-heads to pull a stunt like this, but let's make it a good duel anyways."

"The same to you," agreed Kouji. "While I was not expecting this duel, I will use all my strength. Although I am not a professional, I suggest you do the same."

"Will do," Melryn said with a nod. The two moved apart and approached their sides of the arena, each followed by a spotlight. Their decks shuffled and duel disks active, Melryn shot his hand out towards Kouji and declared, "Alright, challenger, the first move is yours!"

Nodding in agreement, Kouji drew his starting hand. With a quick glance over it, he selected a card and placed it on his duel disk.

"I summon Familiar Knight, in attack mode," he announced. Rising before him was a muscular knight in armored breastplate, along with a red cape and a horned helmet that covered his eyes in shadows and masked his face. In one arm it held a long sword, the other a massive shield. While its body was armored, as were its hands and feet, its arms and legs were bare.

Familiar Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
3/1200/1400  
When this card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard as a result of battle, each player can special summon 1 level 4 monster from their hand.

"What a shock!" the announcer declared. "The challenger is also a user of warriors, and a knight at that! This will become a battle of swords at this rate!"

"_At what rate? This is only the first move,"_ thought Kouji. The announcer was starting to annoy him, but it was still his move, so he'd just have to ignore it. "Next, I set two cards face-down, and end my turn."

Kouji:  
LP: 4000  
Hand: 3  
Field: Familiar Knight, 2 set m/t

"Here I come!" declared Melryn, as his turn began. He had seen Familiar Knight before, he knew what it did, but he also knew that its effect would work whether it was in attack mode or defense mode. So why summon a monster with low attack in attack mode? Was he hoping to draw Melryn in for an attack to special summon something better, or was it a trap? _"Let's find out."_

"Knight of the Round Table – Sir Bedivere the Wise, in attack mode," announced Melryn. His knight was just a little bit different than Kouji's, clad in chain-mail under a blue tunic adorned with the image of a leafless tree. Covering his head was a large bucket-shaped helmet, but his comically long moustache stuck out from the opening for his face.

Knight of the Round Table – Sir Bedivere the Wise  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
4/1600/2000  
Once per turn, you can select and view one set card on your opponent's side of the field, then return it to its original position.

"With Bedivere's effect, I can check out one of your set cards," explained Melryn. "He likes to plan ahead, so knowing what you've got up your sleeves helps… well, on the field, up your sleeves same difference."

"The two are completely different," the stoic Kouji replied. "Even the saying 'same difference' makes little sense in this context."

"Hey, do I argue with your grammatical errors!?" the rather peculiar Melryn demanded. "No I do not, so let me make mine."

"… I do not make grammatical errors."

Melryn slapped his forehead and sighed. That guy was so uptight, he needed to chill out and start enjoying the duel, or so Melryn thought. But they were getting sidetracked – he almost forgot to activate Bedivere's effect.

"Okay, let's go with… that one!" he announced, pointing to the card on the left. It revealed itself as a card with the image of several armored warriors getting pulled into the air, then placed itself back down. It was easily recognizable as Zero Gravity, which would be a good way of blocking the battle damage. Melryn could see what Kouji was up to, or so he figured.

Zero Gravity  
Trap Card  
Change the battle positions of all face-up monsters on you and your opponent's sides of the field.

"I see, I see, so Familiar Knight was bait so I'd call out a big monster," nodded Melryn. "Then, when I'd attack, you'd force it into defense mode so you could kill it with a bigger monster next turn. Only problem is – Bedivere's got a stronger defense than his attack, so I'd benefit from that as well. Let's go, Sir Bedivere! Attack Familiar Knight!"

Melryn's knight drew his sword and advanced towards Kouji's. While Familiar Knight readied his sword for the counter, Kouji triggered the set card to the right.

"While it was wise of you to check for traps before attacking, you chose the wrong one," Kouji declared. "I was actually waiting to use this – Defense Draw."

Defense Draw  
Trap Card  
Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. The battle damage you would receive becomes 0. Draw 1 card.

Familiar Knight's sword was broken by Bedivere's and his shield unable to guard him from the attack that cut across his shining armor. But Kouji's life points remained untouched, and he picked up one card from his deck.

"Now, Familiar Knight's effect activates," he continued. "We can both special summon one level four monster from our hands. I chose Gearfried the Iron Knight."

"Then I'm going with Sir Galahad the Pure," replied Melryn, selecting a monster from his own hand.

Both players summoned their monsters, and to Kouji's field rose a warrior whose entire body was covered in a dark steel armor, save for decorative linings of light steel. Attached to its right arm was a long shield, leading into a point at the end that made it double as a lance.

As for Melryn, his monster, like Bedivere, wore chain mail with a tunic above it. His tunic, however, was adorned with a large red cross, as was his shield. His features were that of a relatively attractive man, with brown hair cut neatly and a fit form, but he wouldn't exactly qualify as any sort of bishounen.

Gearfried the Iron Knight  
Earth/Warrior/Effect  
4/1800/1600  
When an Equip Card is equipped to this card, destroy the Equip Card.

Knight of the Round Table – Sir Galahad the Pure  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
4/1800/1700  
Control of this card cannot shift to your opponent.

"Looks like our monsters are the same strength," mused Melryn. "Well, I don't like sending my monsters on suicide attacks… but I'd have to bet you don't want to lose Gearfried either. So I'll have Sir Galahad attack the Iron Knight!"

The two monsters charged at each other, their strengths completely equal. Galahad readied his sword and swung towards Gearfried, supplying enough force to break through the armor, while Gearfried stabbed towards Galahad with his lance-like shield. Yet as the two blades were less than inches from the other, they came to a stop.

"You have indeed forced my hand," Kouji said, as he held a hand towards his now-active trap card. "Activate Zero Gravity."

Galahad and Gearfried pulled back, each slowly backing away to their respective fields. Gearfried took a knee, holding his shield across his chest, while both Galahad and Bedivere ducked behind their shields.

"Then it looks like this is just about where I end my turn," Melryn announced. "But before that, I activate Anarcho-Syndicist Commune. We each draw cards equal to the amount of warriors we control. You can thank me for the one you get later, but I figured I should draw more while I can."

Anarcho-Syndicist Commune  
Spell Card  
Each Player draws 1 card for every face-up Warrior-type monster on their side of the field.

While Melryn drew two cards, Kouji drew one. Neither could tell if the other got anything good, but judging from the way Melryn slid one of those he drew into his duel disk, it seemed like one of them might have.

"_That Zero Gravity might cost me a monster, but I had to get rid of his trap before it became a thorn in my side," _thought Melryn. "I set one card, and end my turn."

Melryn:  
LP: 4000  
Hand: 4  
Field: Sir Bedivere, Sir Galahad, 1 set m/t

Kouji would have to thank Melryn for the card Anarcho-Syndicist Commune allowed him to draw, but that would come later. Until then, he had a plan to follow through with – there was a reason he needed Familiar Knight to get a monster on his field.

"I offer Gearfried the Iron Knight as tribute," he announced. "Come forth, Phantasm Knight!"

Gearfried's shadow rose from the ground and wrapped around him, spinning around until it turned into a black cloak. The cloak flung open to reveal the knight inside, covered in armor as black as coal, with a spiked arm and shoulder pads. As his black cloak billowed, its entire body seemed almost immaterial, like a ghost, or a shadow.

Phantasm Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
6/2300/1100  
This card is not affected by spell or trap cards that do not specifically designate a target.

"It was my hopes to keep your monsters in attack mode, so that Phantasm Knight could inflict damage while I protected my life points with Defense Draw," explained Kouji. "Then later on, my Zero Gravity could change the battle positions of your monsters, if necessary, without affecting my own knight. Yet it seems you have prevented me from doing such. Your Knights of the Round Table have cost me traps and advantages, and for that, I salute you, but this is where I claim the lead. Phantasm Knight, attack Bedivere."

His knight flickered away, and a second later appeared behind Sir Bedivere. He drew a sword of black steel from the shadows of his cloak, and with a single slash severed Bedivere's shield in two. Where there was once the decoration of a tree, there was but a stump, which Bedivere stared at for a second before vanishing. Thankfully for Melryn, it was in defense mode, but without Bedivere he lost his means of viewing any set cards.

"I then place one card face-down, and end my turn," Kouji concluded. His knight faded away then reappeared beside him, as the hologram of a trap appeared on the field.

As Melryn drew, a grin crossed his face. The card he drew would either lighten Kouji's mood, or take down his Phantasm Knight, and either would be good.

"Let's go, Lumberjack, in attack mode!" he announced. Before him appeared a burly warrior, clad in a plaid jacket and overalls, who held an axe in his hands. Yet there was still something oddly effeminate about the manly man, almost as though he was wearing high heels, suspenders, and a bra.

"And now, I activate his effect," declared Melryn. He took a breath, and to Kouji's surprise, began to sing.

"I'm a lumberjack, and I'm okay.  
I sleep all night and I work all day!"

Kouji stared blankly at Melryn, ignoring the fact that the crowd around them was going wild. He blinked twice, entirely unsure of why Melryn was singing – and for him to not have an understanding of the situation was unusual enough. But Melryn grinned after the moment's silence.

"You didn't sing along," he said, wagging a finger disapprovingly. "That means, Phantasm Knight goes to defense mode!"

Kouji's knight took a knee, pulling its cloak around its body as though to hide its self. While not entirely sure of how that happened, Kouji could surmise easily enough.

"Your Lumberjack's effect is song-activated?" he asked. "That is about the most preposterous thing I have ever seen… and yet I do admit to being impressed by its unpredictability."

"You got it," laughed Melryn. "Once they catch on, then it's just a trick of just thinking of what songs no one in their right mind would sing along to!"

"_Then how can you sing them in the first place?"_ Kouji had to wonder. He did not yet realize that Melryn had no shame.

Lumberjack  
Earth/Warrior/Effect  
4/1700/1000  
Sing a part of a song. If your opponent sings along or repeats after you, switch this monster to defense mode. (It cannot change its battle position again this turn.) If not, change the battle positions of any monster(s) on your opponent's side of the field.

Melryn turned Galahad's card to the side, and his knight rose to attack mode. He drew his sword while the Lumberjack readied his axe, and Melryn gave the command.

"Lumberjack, attack Phantasm Knight! Galahad, direct attack!"

The Lumberjack's axe swung through Phantasm Knight, dispersing the shadows as he cut through them. But as Galahad raised his sword to strike at Kouji, his trap revealed itself.

"It seems I shall have to gamble to block this attack," he announced. "Activate Conscription!"

Conscription  
Trap Card  
Pick up the top card of your opponent's deck. If the picked-up card can be normal summoned, special summon it to your side of the field. If not, add that card to your opponent's hand.

Melryn half-drew a card from his deck, grinning with anticipation as he spoke. "Let's test your luck then," he said. "Or in this case, my luck… although if it is a monster, then that would normally be good luck, except in this case, it would be bad luck. So I guess it's more… ah, hell with it, here we go!"

As he snapped the card off his deck, Melryn glanced at the card and threw it towards Kouji. Kouji, in turn, caught the card between two fingers, and placed it onto his disk. The monster that rose was a green-skinned beast with a sharp claws and thick limbs. Its massive head was filled with teeth like stalagmites, and covered with a nearly uncountable amount of eyes, along with giant horns rising from its head. Yet there was something almost cartoonish about it, its movements more animated than fluid.

Dreaded Black Beast of Augh  
Dark/Beast/Effect  
5/2500/2000  
This card can be special summoned from your hand by removing "Carved Cave Runes" in your graveyard from play. If your life points are damaged, destroy this card.

Kouji had to admit, he was very confused by Melryn. While he was heralded as the user of a Camelot deck, and his Knights of the Round Table seemed to fit that theme well enough, it all went out the window the second he summoned that odd Lumberjack. He seemed to relish in its peculiar effect. Then there was the monster that he just snatched through Conscription… even the Lumberjack could be forgiven as it was a warrior, but why did he have that Beast of Augh? And that wasn't even taking his personality into account, which was even more peculiar than any of his monsters

"_You are indeed an odd specimen of the human race,"_ thought Kouji, although he did not say it. _"However, that odd addition to your deck is a blessing in disguise, so I will not lament you running it."_

"Galahad, stop your attack," Melryn called out. The Dreaded Black Beast of Augh was too much for his knight to overcome, he'd have to play it safe until he could defeat it. Without running any damage-inflicting cards, he'd need to get to Kouji's life points another way. "I end my turn."

Melryn:  
LP: 4000  
Hand: 4  
Field: Sir Galahad, Lumberjack, 1 set m/t

"I summon Sunrise Knight, in attack mode," announced Kouji, as his turn began. The knight that rose was clad in golden armor that seemed to reflect the light of a rising sun (despite being inside an arena, and the day being closer to sunset), with a tattered red cloak and sharpened sword.

Sunrise Knight  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
4/1600/1000  
If this card is summoned during sunrise, increase its ATK and DEF by 400 points.

"Then, I equip my knight with Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade." The sword in Sunrise Knight's hands was replaced with one that nearly glowed in the light, its handle shaped like a golden bird in flight. As he readied the blade, Sunrise Knight's attack rose to 1900.

Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade  
Equip Spell Card  
Equip only to a Warrior-Type monster. It gains 300 ATK. During your Main Phase, if this card is in your Graveyard you can remove from play 2 Warrior-Type monsters in your Graveyard to add this card to your hand.

Melryn looked over at the card behind the Sunrise Knight. It wasn't a warrior he recognized, but as he read its text, he found himself just as surprised as Kouji was by his song-based Lumberjack.

"So that card gets stronger according to when you summon it, huh?" he asked. "Never seen that before, but it's unexpected… just like my Lumberjack."

"Do not compare my knights to that woodsman you summoned," Kouji replied. "You took me by surprise once, but there will be no second chance. No matter what time of the day it may be, Sunrise Knight is now strong enough to defeat either of your monsters. Sunrise Knight, Beast of Augh, attack."

The two monsters charged into battle. Melryn's Lumberjack was swallowed into the maw of the Dreaded Black Beast of Augh, disappearing behind its many fangs. Galahad clashed with Sunrise Knight, but was disarmed and taken down with a slash across the chest. With both his monsters destroyed, Melryn's life points fell to 3100.

"Iiiincredible!" roared the announcer. "The first blow has been struck, and it's Melryn Archimedes who loses life points! How will he respond?"

But the two duelists paid little heed to the announcer's narration or the cheers of the crowd around them. Both were focused on one thing only: the opponent before them.

"Not bad at all," grinned Melryn, running a hand across his brow. "Got anything else up your sleeve?"

"Not that you will see yet," Kouji replied. "Turn end."

Kouji:  
LP: 4000  
Hand: 2  
Field: Sunrise Knight, Dreaded Black Beast of Augh, Phoenix Blade

The Dreaded Black Beast of Augh was Melryn's card, so he knew its strengths and weaknesses. If you wanted to summon another monster, you'd better be prepared to lose both of them, as any damage to its controller's life points would cripple the beast. Boosting Sunrise Knight's attack points was smart, but he could still get around it.

"Here we go," he announced. "Black Knight, in attack mode. Attack Sunrise Knight!"

Appearing now was a knight clad in, as the name suggested, black armor from head to toe. Its face was masked by a black helm, its dark tunic adorned with the image of a red griffin. This was actually a monster both duelists ran – it was a powerful knight, as Kouji and Melryn could attest.

Black Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
4/2000/0  
When this card is normal summoned, place 4 counters on it (max. 4). Each time this card is attacked or would be destroyed by battle, remove 1 counter from it. This card cannot be destroyed in battle as long as it has a counter on it. Halve the battle damage this card inflicts to your opponent, and double the battle damage you take from this card being in battle.

This time, it was Sunrise Knight that fell in battle. It raised its sword to block Black Knight's slash, but the attack disarmed the Phoenix Blade from his hands, and Sunrise Knight was run through by Black Knight's sword. However, to compensate for its great strength and stubbornness, Black Knight could only deal half-damage, and received extra pain for its survival. Thus, Kouji's life points were barely dented, and fell to only 3950.

Then, Kouji clutched his chest, as though he were suffering from a massive heart attack. The Black Beast of Augh froze in mid-roar and its colors drained away, before the monster itself faded away.

"When you take damage, the Beast of Augh dies," explained Melryn. "That's why even the meager 50 points were enough to secure me the offense."

Wordlessly, Kouji took the monster card off of his duel disk and threw it back to Melryn. Melryn in turn caught the card and slid it into his graveyard, and ended his turn.

Melryn:  
LP: 3100  
Hand: 4  
Field: Black Knight, 1 set m/t

Kouji glanced at the card he drew, then at the other two he held in his hand. While his last monster wasn't especially strong offensively, his other cards could make good use of it.

"I summon Hayabusa Knight, in attack mode," he announced. An eagle-headed warrior rose to the field, clad in light armor and brandishing a rapier. While its attack points were only 1000, it would soon suffice.

Hayabusa Knight  
Earth/Warrior/Effect  
3/1000/700  
This card can attack twice during the same battle phase.

"Next, by removing Familiar Knight and Gearfried from play, I can return the Phoenix Blade to my hand," Kouji continued, as the three cards were ejected from his graveyard. Two he placed in a pocket, the third he slid into his duel disk, and equipped it to Hayabusa Knight. The falcon knight's rapier was replaced by the divine sword, and its attack rose to 1300.

"Following that, I equip Megamorph to your Black Knight," he added. "Had my life points been lower than yours, the equipped monster would have doubled in attack. But as mine are higher, your knight weakens."

Megamorph  
Equip Spell Card  
While your Life Points are lower than your opponent's, the original ATK of the equipped monster is doubled. While your Life Points are higher, the original ATK of the equipped monster is halved.

True to his word, Black Knight's attack points dropped down to 1000, same as Hayabusa Knight's original attack. However, thanks to the Phoenix Blade, the falcon-headed warrior was stronger.

"Hayabusa Knight, attack," commanded Kouji. But as the Phoenix Blade neared the Black Knight, Melryn activated his set card.

"Trap card, Refusal To Feel Pain," he declared. Black Knight readied itself as Hayabusa Knight neared, and his right arm was severed by the opposing warrior.

Refusal To Feel Pain  
Trap Card  
After activation, this becomes an Equip Card and is equipped to one monster on the field. When the equipped monster is attacked, all damage to its controller's life points is reduced to zero.

"Tis but a scratch," Melryn laughed triumphantly, ignoring the fact that the "scratch" had taken off its entire arm. All that meant was his knight had three counters left.

"Hayabusa Knight, a second attack," Kouji called out. His monster continued its assault, but while Black Knight tried to counter with its one good arm, that too was lopped off.

"Just a flesh wound," insisted Melryn. Two counters remaining, and with one set card, Kouji's turn ended.

Kouji:  
LP: 3950  
Hand: 0  
Field: Hayabusa Knight, Phoenix Blade, Megamorph, 1 set m/t

As Melryn drew, he glanced over at the card he obtained. It would be useful later on, he just needed one more card. He slid it into his duel disk, then selected one more monster.

"I set one card face-down, and summon Knight of the Round Table – Gowain, in attack mode," he announced. Beside his armless Black Knight appeared another Knight of the Round Table, clad in a white tunic with a smiley face upon it. His bucket-shaped helmet, letting only eyes and a nose appear through the slits, effectively kept him featureless. His attack points, however, were certainly sufficient.

Knight of the Round Table – Gowain  
Light/Warrior  
4/1900/1700  
The last seen image of Sir Gowain, right before he had his throat ripped out.  
... Check that, right as he had his throat ripped out.

"Let's go, Gowain, attack Hayabusa Knight," called out Melryn, pointing at the target. His knight flew ahead, sword raised for combat, but as he swung down, Hayabusa Knight's hand shot out and grabbed the blade. Its arm was covered with a twisted, smoking armor, which spread across its entire body.

Sakuretsu Armor  
Trap Card  
Activate only when your opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy the attacking monster.

Hayabusa Knight's armored hand snapped Gowain's sword in half, then a second one slammed into the Knight of the Round Table's stomach. The chain mail armor was broken into links as the fist shattered it, and Gowain was destroyed.

"Well, that's not good," Melryn noted. "Guess I'll have to end there for now."

Melryn:  
LP: 3100  
Hand: 3  
Field: Black Knight, Refusal To Feel Pain, 1 set m/t

Although Kouji's hand was empty, the one card he drew was useful enough to take down the Black Knight. It could survive two more attacks, but a third would finish it.

"Sunset Knight, in attack mode," he announced, summoning a monster. The knight that rose was clad in dark orange armor, like the light from the setting sun, with downward-curving horns on the sides of its helmet. In its arms it held a long spear with a curved tip, perfect for piercing, but not for removing from a wound.

Sunset Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
4/1700/1100  
If this card is summoned during sunset, increase its ATK and DEF by 400.

"Hayabusa Knight, attack Black Knight," commanded Kouji. As the two knights charged head-on, Black Knight began kicking at Hayabusa Knight. With one swing of the Phoenix Blade, the falcon knight removed the Black Knight's right leg. It began hopping around on its one remaining limb, trying to beat up Hayabusa Knight with its head.

"Right, I'll get you for that," Melryn declared.

Kouji seemed less than convinced. "And what do you intend to do, bleed on my monsters?"

"The Black Knight always triumphs!"

Then Hayabusa Knight's second attack took off Black Knight's left leg, leaving him a torso and head on the ground. There was a moment's silence as Sunset Knight approached, readying its spear for the killing thrust.

"All right," consented Melryn. "We'll call it a draw."

With no counters left on it, Black Knight couldn't survive the last attack and vanished. That left Melryn with just his set card, and Kouji's turn ended.

Kouji:  
LP: 3950  
Hand: 0  
Field: Sunset Knight, Hayabusa Knight, Phoenix Blade

As Melryn drew, he paused to look at the monster he obtained. Slowly, a grin crept across his face as he saw his comeback at hand. Kouji hadn't known about his Lumberjack, so it was safe to say he wouldn't know about this one either.

"Behold!" he announced. "But only if you dare, for death awaits you all, with sharp, pointy teeth! Prepare to face the most frightening monster in my deck, the Killer Rabbit!"

And as he placed the card on his duel disk, there came a pillar of smoke, and the crowd went wild. Kouji narrowed his eyes into a glare and took a half-step back to ready himself, keeping an eye out for what awaited when the smoke cleared.

It was a little white rabbit, hopping about innocently.

Kouji found it a little underwhelming. "I see no horrifying monster. Is it behind the rabbit?" he asked, just making sure they were both looking at the same thing.

"It is the rabbit," laughed Melryn, as though victory was already within his grasp.

"… You are a strange little man," said Kouji with a sigh.

"But that's no ordinary rabbit," Melryn declared. "That's the most cruel, foul, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on! It's got huge, sharp fangs! It can leap about! He'll do you a treat, Futagotsu."

For all the fuss Melryn was making, it seemed an innocent enough creature. Still, Kouji knew better than to take a small card lightly… unless it was a bluff.

Melryn:  
LP: 3100  
Hand: 3  
Field: Killer Rabbit, 1 set m/t

"Then I shall test the strength of this rabbit of yours," Kouji declared, his turn beginning. "Hayabusa Knight, attack."

His monster moved in for the attack, blade readied to cut the rabbit's head off, but the bunny was faster. It lunged at Hayabusa Knight, fangs bared, and bit into the warrior's throat. Then, the Killer Rabbit bounced away as the falcon-headed knight stumbled back, and faded away.

"I warned you," laughed Melryn. "I warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh no, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it? Well it's always the same, and they always just charge in, and look what happens."

Killer Rabbit  
Earth/Beast/Effect  
4/300/200  
When your opponent attacks this face-up card, destroy the attacking monster before damage calculation. If this card is targeted by a card effect, destroy this card immediately.

"_To think, he was hiding a monster with an effect that powerful within his deck,"_ thought Kouji with a scowl. _"But it has its weaknesses. It must be face-up, so those who know what it does can wait it out. I can simply avoid attacking until I can target it with a card effect, and the rabbit will be destroyed."_

But Melryn was ready for that. He shot his hand out towards Kouji and declared, "I know what you're thinking! You figure you can just sit back and wait until you draw something that can target Killer Rabbit. Well I'm one step ahead of you, and attacking isn't not an option! Activate Fools Rush!"

Fools Rush  
Trap Card  
Activate during the battle phase of your opponent's turn, when your opponent declares an attack. Switch all of your opponent's face-up monsters to attack mode, and they must attack this turn, if able.

Sunset Knight readied his spear, and lunged towards the bunny. But like the knight before, Killer Rabbit tore him apart before he had a chance to blink. Kouji's field was left empty, while the rabbit hopped around Melryn's side, looking as deceptively harmless as ever.

"I seem to have taken you lightly," said Kouji, now deadly serious. "Your foolish exterior hides your true strength, so it would appear that I will have to use every last bit of my strength to win this duel. Thus, I set one card, and end my turn."

Kouji:  
LP: 3950  
Hand: 0  
Field: 1 set card

Melryn took the chance while Kouji's field was open. Gotta hit 'em hard when you can hit 'em, so he called out the best monster he could. "Knight of the Round Table – Hector, in attack mode!"

Yet another white-clad knight of the round table appeared, this one even less detailed than Gowain. His tunic had no designs, and his helmet covered his entire face. Still, his stats lit up at a respectable 1800/1800, which would make for some good damage.

Knight of the Round Table – Hector  
Light/Warrior  
4/1800/1800  
A rarely-seen Knight of the Round Table. Why's he rarely seen? Because he was an extra that they needed killed off. Don't take that bunny lightly!

"Killer Rabbit, Hector, direct attack!" Melryn called out. The first to lunge was his rabbit, which flew through the air like a missile. It bared its fangs at Kouji, ready to bite into him like the knights before, when his set card activated.

"Activate Shadow Spell," Kouji declared. Multiple chains shot out from the trap, wrapping around the rabbit and holding it in place. Due to its weakness to targeting, the Killer Rabbit exploded.

However, Hector's attack could continue unblocked. He swung his sword across Kouji's body, sending the opposing duelist stumbling a step to the side. Yet Kouji recovered quickly, despite his life points dropping to 2150. He looked up with a cold glare, and snapped the top card off of his deck.

Melryn:  
LP: 3100  
Hand: 3  
Field: Hector

"This is the only card in my hand, so I can summon it without tribute," announced Kouji, as he placed the card he drew onto his duel disk. "Come forth, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight."

Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
7/2300/2100  
If this is the only card in your hand, you can summon this card in face-up attack position without tributing monsters. This is treated as a normal summon.

There came the sound of thunder, as a large, purple horse charged onto the field. Riding atop it was a knight in blue body armor, holding a red lance in each hand. The horse reared onto its hind legs as the knight shot a lance into the air, horse and rider letting out a battle cry.

"Gaia, attack Hector." The knight charged, pulling back its twin lances. He stabbed into the Knight of the Round Table, sending Hector spiraling into destruction. Melryn's life points fell to 2600 with the loss of his knight, and Kouji's turn ended.

Melryn glanced over his hand. Prince Herbert, Bright Side of Life, and Lancelot. The only one of them that could defeat Gaia was Lancelot, but as a seven-star monster, it required two tributes that he didn't have. The card he drew was Pot of Avarice, which just might help.

"Activate Pot of Avarice," he announced. "Galahad, Bedivere, Black Knight, Lumberjack, and Killer Rabbit are shuffled back into my deck, and I draw two cards."

Pot of Avarice  
Spell Card  
Select 5 monster cards in your graveyard. Return those cards to the deck, then draw 2 cards.

As he drew, Melryn began to ponder his move. Good luck can only last so long, so it seemed he needed a turn to defend.

"One monster in defense mode," he announced. "Then one set card, and I end my turn."

Melryn:  
LP: 2600  
Hand: 3  
Field: 1 set monster, 1 set m/t

Now that Kouji had regained the offense, he intended to keep it. He glanced over at the card he drew, which was a draw card, like Melryn's. Given that he had practically no cards in his hand, it was well-needed.

"I activate Pot of Greed," he announced, drawing two cards. "Following that, I set one card, and summon Lancer Knight in attack mode."

Beside Gaia appeared a second knight with two lances. This one wore blue body armor, and held a pair of thin spears. It spun them both around, then stepped into a fighting stance in preparation for battle.

Lancer Knight  
Earth/Warrior/Effect  
4/1400/700  
When this card attacks a monster in defense mode whose DEF is lower than this card's ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent's life points. During the battle phase, you can sacrifice this card to select one monster on the field and give it the following effect until the end of the turn: "During the damage step, by halving this card's ATK, it can inflict piercing damage."

"Lancer Knight is a monster that can break through defenses," Kouji explained. "So long as his attack exceeds your defense, you will take damage, and Gaia can deal a crippling blow. Lancer Knight, attack the set card."

The warrior leapt into the air, readying his two spears. He stabbed downwards, but the blow stopped short before a beautiful young lady, clad in a blue dress that shimmered like rippling water.

Lady of the Lake  
Water/Spellcaster/Effect  
4/800/2000  
FLIP: Add one Equip Spell Card from your deck to your hand. You may then equip it to an appropriate target.

"Too bad," Melryn declared. "Lady of the Lake has 2000 defense, your Lancer Knight can't break it. Not to mention, when flipped, she moves one equip spell to my hand. I chose the Holy Grail!"

Kouji's life points fell to 1550, although he remained calm as always. Despite the minor damage and Melryn's lead, Kouji still had the stronger monsters.

"Gaia, attack," he commanded. The stronger knight struck at the Lady of the Lake, who broke apart into water, which quickly vanished away. Now it was Melryn's turn to begin to fret, since he was up against two monsters, while his only chances were either un-summonable or too easily killed. But as he drew, a new chance presented itself.

"I activate the Holy Hand Grenade," he announced. A golden grenade with a cross-shaped pin appeared above the field, beginning to glow.

Holy Hand Grenade  
Spell Card  
Discard 3 cards from your hand. Destroy all monsters on your opponent's side of the field.

One by one, Melryn discarded the cards from his hand. "One, two, five!" he announced, as the grenade began to glow even brighter.

"Three," corrected Kouji.

"Right, three!" nodded Melryn. The hand grenade flew through the air, landing between Kouji's two monsters, and detonated. The knights were blown to tiny bits, leaving nothing but a smoldering crater and an open field behind.

"Now, I activate my set card, Call of the Haunted," Melryn announced. "Revive, Knight of the Round Table - Sir Lancelot the Brave!"

Thanks to his revival trap, the knight discarded for the hand grenade rose to the field. He was a tall knight, clad in a black-checkered tunic with a dragon upon it. Sir Lancelot flourished his sword, eager for battle, and prepared to charge.

Knight of the Round Table – Sir Lancelot the Brave  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
7/2500/1800  
When this card attacks, it can attack all monsters on your opponent's side of the field. Your other monsters cannot declare an attack the turn this card attacks.

"Let's go, Lancelot!" called out the Camelot duelist. "Let's end this!"

Lancelot charged towards Kouji, pulling his sword back. As he neared, however, a swirling vortex appeared between them.

"You will do no such thing," countered Kouji, revealing his set card. "Negate Attack."

Lancelot's blade was pulled off course by the vortex, sinking harmlessly into the ground. Kouji and the monster exchanged glares as they passed, but Lancelot had to pull back. Despite his attempts for a dramatic finish, he couldn't complete things in his own idiom.

Melryn:  
LP: 2600  
Hand: 1  
Field: Lancelot, Call of the Haunted

"My, I do seem to be getting a good few draw cards," mused Kouji, as his turn began. "I shall play my own Pot of Avarice. Lancer, Sunrise, Sunset, Phantasm, and Hayabusa Knights return to my deck, and I draw."

Gaining his cards, Kouji nodded to himself. He had what he needed to prepare a comeback.

"I summon Nightmare Knight, in defense mode," he announced. "When he is summoned, I can pay one thousand life points to special summon his steed, Knightmare, from my deck."

Rising to the field was a warrior clad in twisted black armor. Spikes stuck out from along the spine, leading up to a horned helmet. Red eyes shone through the slits in the helm, as the knight of cursed dreams stared down Lancelot.

Then, Kouji's life points fell to 550. Beside Nightmare Knight appeared a black horse, clad in armor matching its rider's. Blue flames danced around the ground with every step of its hooves, and the demonic horse snorted angrily.

Nightmare Knight  
Dark/Warrior/Effect  
4/1600/1200  
When this card is normal summoned, you can pay 1000 life points to special summon one "Knightmare" from your deck to your side of the field. If so, that monster cannot attack this turn.

Knightmare  
Dark/Beast/Union  
3/400/500  
Once per turn, during your main phase, you can equip this monster to a face-up "Nightmare Knight" on your side of the field, OR special summon it from your magic and trap card zone as a monster. When the equipped monster attacks, all increases in ATK or DEF are decreased instead. (A monster can only be equipped with one Union Monster at a time. If the equipped monster would be destroyed by battle, destroy this card instead.)

"Lastly, one more set card," concluded Kouji. "I end there."

Melryn grinned as his turn began. "Trying to set up a wall, are ya?" he asked. "Not gonna work – Lancelot can attack each of your monsters! Go, Sir Lancelot, attack!"

But as the Knight of the Round Table charged at Kouji's two monsters, once more his trap card activated. He pulled the top two cards off from his deck and slid them into the graveyard, and before each of his monsters appeared the spiritual forms of those he discarded. Jack's Knight and Command Knight, while ephemeral images, held their arms out to shield Nightmare Knight and Knightmare, taking Lancelot's attacks. He didn't care who he cut, so long as he got to attack someone.

Soul Block  
Trap Card  
Select any number of monsters on the field. Send cards from the top of your deck to the graveyard equal to the number of monsters you selected. Those monsters cannot be destroyed in battle this turn.

"Still not enough," Kouji declared. His turn began, and a smirk crossed his face as he looked at the card he obtained.

"I offer Nightmare Knight and Knightmare as tribute," he announced. "Come forth, Satsu Goudou Knight."

As the two monsters vanished, a pillar of light shot into the air. From the light emerged a pair of angelic wings, until the outline of an armored knight appeared within it. The light settled, revealing a warrior in shimmering armor from head to toe. On its left arm was a shield with a carving of the Polymerization spell card's image upon it, and its right hand held a lengthy but beautiful sword, which began to glow with a purple energy.

Satsu Goudou Knight  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
8/2800/2600  
When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, destroy all Fusion Monsters on the field.

"This knight is designed for defeating fusion monsters, but it is a powerful warrior nonetheless," explained Kouji. "Satsu Goudou Knight, attack Lancelot."

The knight spread its wings and lifted into the air, holding its sword high as it plummeted down towards Lancelot. The brave knight charged back, leaping into the air to take the fusion-killer head-on, and when the two met, a blast of energy filled the air. From the smoke, Satsu Goudou Knight landed with arms outstretched, folding his wings as he touched down. On the other side, Lancelot crashed into the ground, and broke apart into particles of light. Melryn's life points fell to 2300, and Kouji's turn ended.

Kouji:  
LP: 550  
Hand: 0  
Field: Satsu Goudou Knight

"Man, now that is quite the knight," grinned Melryn, as he looked up at the warrior. "You're good, Futagotsu. I've faced pros who couldn't get past Lancelot, but don't count me out just let. Knight of the Round Table – Sir Robin the Not Quite So Brave As Sir Lancelot, in defense mode."

Melryn's monster was yet another Knight of the Round Table, with long brown hair and an odd handlebar sort of moustache. His armor and shield were adorned with the image of a chicken, and no sooner did Sir Robin glance at Kouji's shining knight than he ducked behind said shield.

Knight of the Round Table – Sir Robin the Not Quite So Brave As Sir Lancelot  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
3/1300/200  
This card cannot attack a monster of level 4 or higher. When this face-up card is attacked, it returns to your hand after damage calculation.

"Behold, my brave knight, Sir Robin," announced Melryn. "Who almost fought the Dragon of Angor! Who nearly stood up to the vicious Chicken of Bristol! And who personally wet himself at the Battle of Badon Hill. Now, I'll set one card and end my turn."

Kouji drew, and activated his spell the moment he drew it. "Stop Defense," he announced. "Sir Robin goes to attack mode. Satsu Goudou Knight, attack."

Sir Robin rose from behind his shield, and the shining knight dashed across the field. Its feet didn't even touch the ground as it charged towards the scarcely brave knight. Sir Robin quickly turned tail and fled, returning to Melryn's hand, but the battle was still calculated. Melryn winced as his life points fell to 800, but it was his turn to activate his trap.

Find Your Grail  
Trap Card  
Activate this card when you take battle damage. Both players draw 1 card for every 500 points of damage you took, then discard half the cards they drew, rounded down.

"Figured you'd try to damage me somehow," grinned Melryn. "So I prepared a few tricks of my own. Figure this one oughta help us both out."

The two duelists drew three cards, then discarded one each. While Kouji kept a perfect poker face, Melryn couldn't hide the grin that seemed to scream "guess who just drew his boss card."

"I shall end my turn," concluded Kouji. Whatever it was he had planned, Melryn would have to wait to see.

"Here we go," declared Melryn. "Field magic – Camelot!"

Trumpets let out a fanfare, and the duelists found themselves standing atop a large hill. Behind Melryn rose a giant castle, towering above the field.

Camelot  
Field Spell Card  
Increase the ATK of all "Knight of the Round Table" monsters by 500. Once per turn, you can special summon 1 "Knight of the Round Table" monster that has been added from your deck to your hand by a card effect.

"And here it is!" the announcer declared. "Camelot!"

"Camelot!" called out the audience.

"Camelot," nodded Melryn.

"It is only a hologram," said Kouji, unimpressed by the field spell.

"Don't ruin it," Melryn said with a sigh. "Anyways, Camelot will boost the attack of my knights. Plus, when I add a Knight of the Round Table from my deck to my hand, I can special summon it. Next, I summon Patsy."

The monster that appeared was a little less than impressive, a hunched over peasant with a huge pack of supplies on his back. But he was just a vassal to the king, and heralded the king's approach.

Patsy  
Earth/Warrior/Effect  
3/400/350  
Sacrifice this card to special summon one "King of Camelot – King Arthur" from your hand.

"Now, I activate Patsy's effect," Melryn announced, as he held up another card from his hand. "Come forth, King of Camelot, King Arthur!"

Patsy vanished, and there rose to the field a mighty warrior. Like his knights, he was clad in chain-mail armor, and above it wore a tunic with the image of the sun on it. Sitting atop his head was a golden crown, and in his hands he held the sword Excalibur.

King of Camelot – King Arthur  
Light/Warrior/Effect  
8/2600/2400  
During your draw phase, instead of drawing, you can move one "Knight of the Round Table" monster from your deck to your hand. While this monster is on the field, it counts as though it has "Knight of the Round Table" in its name.

Standing on his home turf of Camelot, King Arthur's attack rose to 3100. He readied Excalibur, and pointed it towards Satsu Goudou Knight, issuing the challenge.

"King Arthur, attack Satsu Goudou Knight," Melryn commanded. The two monsters clashed, their swords sending sparks into the air as steel met steel. Eventually, King Arthur's onslaught proved more than the fusion-killing knight could take, and he had to retreat behind his shield. But Excalibur pierced through the shield, and Kouji's knight was destroyed. His life points dropped to 250, and Melryn's turn ended.

Melryn:  
LP: 800  
Hand: 2  
Field: Camelot, King Arthur

Kouji drew, bringing his hand up to three. He glanced over the cards, and the move began to piece itself together.

"I activate Monster Reborn," he said. "Revive, Jack's Knight."

Rising to the field was a monster that Soul Block sent to the graveyard. A muscular warrior, clad in blue armor with white and black edges, readied his sword and shield to face the stronger foe.

"Next, I summon the tuner monster, Toutsukou Knight," continued Kouji. Beside Jack's Knight rose a tiny warrior, clad in white armor and a red cloak. On its belt, armor, and headband were purple spheres. "I now tune the level two Toutsukou Knight with Jack's Knight."

The gems adorning Toutsukou Knight's armor began to glow, and the warrior broke apart into two rings of light. The rings surrounded Jack's Knight, who in turn faded into five shining stars.

"With swords forged by countless battles, the souls of fighters and spirits of knights join to call forth a mighty new warrior," he announced. "Synchro summon, Hinobuki Knight!"

A pillar of light rose from the monsters being tuned together, and from it arose a futuristic knight, clad in white plates of armor with glowing golden lining. Beneath the plates was a black suit of flexible armor, and a golden visor covered its eyes. The knight's hands were empty, but spirals of light danced around its arms.

Hinobuki Knight  
Light/Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
7/2550/1900  
1 Tuner Monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monster(s)  
When this card attacks or is attacked, you can roll 1 six-sided dice to increase this card's ATK by the number rolled x150 until the end of the damage step.

"Hinobuki Knight, attack King Arthur," commanded Kouji. The knight held its hands into the air, and four rays of light spiraled around. They met up above its arms, forming the shapes of two twin-swords of light. Hinobuki Knight grasped each of them, and its attack rose to 3150. The synchro knight dashed at King Arthur, but a wall of light rose between the two of them.

Kouji looked in surprise to see Melryn holding a spell card in his hand. The card art showed a golden cup, glowing with a heavenly aura and surrounded by clouds.

"Almost forgot about this, didn't you?" asked Melryn. "Lady of the Lake fetched me the Holy Grail. By discarding this from my hand, I can reduce any damage that monster deals to zero."

Holy Grail  
Equip Spell Card  
This card can only be activated when you have 1000 life points or less. Increase the equipped monster's attack by an amount equal to your life points. The equipped monster cannot be destroyed in battle. Discard this card from your hand to make battle damage from one monster zero until the end of this turn.

"Then before I end my turn, I will remove Jack's Knight and Swift Gaia from my graveyard," continued Kouji. "Divine Sword – Phoenix Blade returns to my hand, and I will equip it to Hinobuki Knight."

As the knight grasped the phoenix blade, the sword began to glow with the same shining light as the swords that materialized. Its attack points rose to 2850, and Kouji's turn ended.

"I know what you're thinking," Melryn said, as his turn began. "Can you get a two or higher? Well to tell you the truth, I don't know myself –"

"You talk too much," Kouji interrupted. "The time for words has passed. If you wish to say something, then speak through your cards, and your sword. There will be time for talking once our duel is over."

"Heh," chuckled Melryn with a grin. "Sounds good to me. Take this, the full strength of my Camelot deck! King of Camelot – King Arthur, attack!"

King Arthur readied Excalibur, while Hinobuki Knight readied the Phoenix Blade. The two monsters charged at each other, while Melryn shot a spell card into his duel disk, and beams of light coursed into the sword of Kouji's knight. The two blades met, a flash of energy pierced through the arena, and a winner was determined.

The crowd went wild, and the two tired duelists exchanged satisfied nods. They passed words, both pleased with the result of the duel, and when they were done, the two knights bowed to the audience, and turned away. As their paths split, the memory of the duel burned brightly in their memories, forever connecting the two duelists… so different in many ways, but the same in one.


End file.
